From 25 November 2023, there has been a significant Australian Department of Home Affairs (DHA) policy change for subclass 485 visa applications. The DHA has announced the end of the COVID-19 concession period and posted a revised policy on its website. Notably, student visa holders who engaged in online study offshore due to COVID-19 travel restrictions can no longer use this study to fulfill the Australian Study Requirement (ASR) for subclass 485 visa applications lodged on or after 25 November 2023.
Key Points:
- Policy Changes: The Department has re-introduced policy that will affect subclass 485 visa applications.
- COVID-19 Concession Period Ends: The update signifies the conclusion of the COVID-19 concession period, which previously allowed flexibility in meeting some study requirements.
- Ineligibility of Offshore Online Study: Student visa holders who undertook online study outside Australia due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, are no longer eligible to count this study towards the Australian Study Requirement in subclass 485 applications on and from 25 November 2023.
- Previous Flexibility Withdrawn: The prior allowance for using offshore online study to meet ASR requirements for subclass 485 visa applications has been removed.
- Impact on Temporary Graduate Visa Applicants: Individuals planning to apply for a Temporary Graduate (subclass 485) visa may be impacted by this revised policy and should carefully check their compliance against the re-introduced requirements by seeking professional immigration law advice.
- Documentation Update: The DHA emphasises that relevant policy documentation will be updated in due course.
International students need to be aware of these changes, especially those affected by COVID-19 travel restrictions, as they must now adhere to the re-instituted policy when applying for a Temporary Graduate Subclass 485 visa.
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